Official Opening Of Artificial Pitch At Irish Independent Park

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, will officially open the newly-installed modified 3G pitch at Irish Independent Park in Cork on Friday night.

The Tánaiste will join Munster Rugby Branch President Ger Malone and Lord Mayor of Cork Mick Finn in officially opening the new pitch ahead of the Munster v Ospreys Guinness PRO14 game (kick-off 7.35pm).

The new artificial pitch, installed by Tralee-based company PST Sport, will allow for a significant increase in games played and hosted events, on a consistent basis, assisting the province’s efforts of growing the game at grassroots level.

The facility upgrade was funded through Munster’s own commercial revenue streams, including the Munster Rugby Annual London Dinner, and a Sports Capital Grant.

A new 3,500 seated stand and covered terrace were constructed at Irish Independent Park in 2015 to improve facilities for supporters, and teams from across the province will now have access to a consistently world-class surface all season.

On confirming the date for the official opening, Munster Rugby Head of Finance and Operations Philip Quinn said: “We look forward to welcoming An Tánaiste Simon Coveney and Lord Mayor Mick Finn to our game on Friday night.

“We are delighted with the latest development at Irish Independent Park and believe it is a valuable addition to the rugby landscape in Cork and the province. Installing this new pitch has been an integral part of the province’s long-term strategy, and with a venue such as this we hope to attract further events for the locality.”